Read Online Love After War by Cheris Hodges - Free Book Online Page B

against him and he wrapped his arms around her, Dana felt a warm feeling of peace envelop her. As much as she tried to deny it, as much as she tried to fight it, being in Adrian’s arms was where she wanted to be. Tonight she’d enjoy the moment and live inside the maleness of Adrian, then deal with reality tomorrow. Was this the closure that she needed with him or had she opened the door to more heartache?
    Adrian woke up thinking he was dreaming again. Nope. Dana was in his arms. Her warm breath was heating his chest.
    And that damned phone was ringing again. Glancing at the clock above the thirty-two-inch flat-screen TV, he saw it was 5:45 a.m. Who was stupid enough to call him at this hour? The last thing he wanted was to move. Not when he knew, come first light, that Dana would call last night anything but a reunion. He peered at her sleeping frame. Beautiful. Angelic. Peaceful. Her lips were swollen from the attention he’d given them hours ago. Tempting. As he leaned in to wake his beauty with a kiss, his phone rang again.
    Somebody was asking for trouble. Tearing himself away from Dana, Adrian crept from the bed and angrily grabbed his phone.
    â€œWhat?” he grumbled.
    â€œIs this Adrian Bryant?” a male voice asked.
    â€œYou’ve got about two seconds to state your name and your business.”
    The man chuckled. Adrian didn’t get the joke. “My apologies, I’m still on East Coast time. This is Elliot Crawford.”
    Adrian’s heart stopped for a split second; his mouth felt as if it had been stuffed with sand and cotton. Something made his words gather in his gut and fail to reach his lips.
    â€œAgain,” Elliot said, sounding wide awake and in control. “Sorry about the hour. You’ve been in contact with my sons about putting a nightclub in Crawford Towers.”
    â€œWe’ve talked about it, but nothing’s written in stone.”
    â€œI have to say that I’m impressed with what I’ve heard about your business acumen and the establishments that you run in the greater Los Angeles area.”
    You son of a bitch. If you’ve checked me out, then you know exactly who I am. Adrian seethed as he listened to his father drone on about how he wanted to meet with him and get the details about the club in the hotel.
    â€œI don’t have my calendar on me. Why don’t you adjust your time and get back to me so that we can make an appointment.”
    â€œI’ll do that,” Elliot said. Before he could say good-bye or when he would call him back, Adrian hung up the phone. He returned to the bed as Dana sat up and yawned. The white sheet fell from her body, exposing her supple breasts, and before his conversation with his father, he would’ve inched closer to her and taken her breasts into his hands, palming them and tweaking her nipples with his thumbs.
    Then he would’ve licked and sucked her breasts until her body caught fire. But the only thing on fire right now was his anger. Well, if this would be the way he met his father, then so be it.
    â€œShe finally got you, huh?”
    Adrian’s eyebrow shot up and he scowled for a moment before his face softened. “That was some unpleasant business. You know how New Yorkers are—you all think when the sun rises on the east, the whole world is supposed to be awake.”
    Dana frowned. She used to love this game, their version of the East Coast–West Coast rivalry, but there was something in his eyes that told her he was really upset. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œNothing, just an unexpected meeting, and you know how I feel about getting my sleep interrupted.”
    Dana wrapped her arms around Adrian’s waist and rested her chin on his shoulder. “You know, I’ve slept through the night. I wasn’t born last night. What’s going on, Adrian?”
    He turned to her and kissed her cheek. “You’re the only person I know